Tow director



Sept. 1, 1970' s. E. TRADEWELL Em 3,526,350

TOW DIRECTOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 5, 1968 INVENTQRS 22 GEORGE E. TRAQEWEL 4 JAMES L. LOHRKE er v (AW ATTORN'V i Sept. 1, 1970 32 A 5 C 0 ;;K, i y

G. E. TRAIDEWELL EI'AL A C D Al? CFD 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I INVENTORS GEORGE E. TRADEWELL JAMES L. LOHRKE AT QRNEV United States Patent O US. Cl. 226-18 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tow director having detector and control elements for returning a tow band to a centered position, and for narrowing or widening the tow band to confrom to a predetermined standard, the control elements being accessible at free ends thereof for mounting or removal of the tow band.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to a tow director and more particularly to apparatus for controlling the centering and width of a tow band.

Description of the prior art In the preparation of a tow band or in treating of a tow band, particularly where the band is composed of a plurality of substantially continuous single filaments and where the filaments are fed to a stapler and reduced to filaments of shorter length, no satisfactory provisions have been available to automatically control the width and centering of the tow band for such treatment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention, detector elements are provided at opposite side margins of the band responsive to the width and positioning of a continuously advancing tow band for effecting centering of the band, if required, or for widening or narrowing the band, if required.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a tow director in which detector elements, at opposite side margins and responsive to the positions of the side margins, are effective for signaling the position of the band and any departure thereof from a centered condition, and the condition of the band as to departure of the width from a predetermined value, and for effecting a correction of the departure.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tow director of the character aforesaid in which simple but effective shiftable curved and slant bars are employed to correct any departures from predetermined norms.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tow director of the character aforesaid which may be operated from a commonly available source of electric energy.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide apparatus of the character aforesaid which will be simple in construction, reliable in operation and which will not require any supervision in its operation.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

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FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a preferred embodiment of the tow director of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, enlarged, of the tow director shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View taken approximately on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing one of the detector fingers and the microswitches controlled thereby;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view, enlarged, taken approximately on the line 66 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating various control positions of the detector fingers; and

FIGS. 8A and 8B show a wiring diagram for the tow director of FIGS. 1 to 7, inclusive.

It should, of course be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more particularly to the drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, a housing 10 is provided, having a top wall 11 and a vertical side wall 12.

The side wall 12 has a plurality of horizontal tow band guide rods 17, 18, 19 and 20 extending therefrom and also has a horizontal detector mounting rod 22 and horizontal guide rod 23 extending therefrom.

The housing 10 also has carried on the top wall thereof an electric panel and relay housing 25.

The side wall 12 has a supporting bar 26 carried thereby with a bracket 27 at its outer end which carries a bearing 28 to support the outer end of a tow band centering bar 29. The inner end of the centering bar 29 extends through an opening 30 in the wall -12 and is pivotally carried at 31 in an arm 32 on motor shaft 33 which is positioned by a centering control motor 34 mounted within the housing 10.

The centering bar 29 is a slant bar and by its orientation tends to guide the tow band between the guide bars 18 and 19 inwardly or outwardly as required for centering, or if the band is centered the bar 29 is level, and accordingly does not shift the tow band toward or away from the wall 12.

The side Wall 12 also has a supporting bar 37 carried thereby with a bracket arm 38 at its outer end which carries a bearing 39 to support the outer end of a tow band width control bar 40. The inner end of the bar 40 extends through an opening 41 in the wall -12 and is connected to the motor shaft (not shown) of a width control motor 42.

The width control bar 40 is an arcuate or bowed bar and by its orientation tends to narrow, Widen or leave unchanged the tow band passing thereover between the guide bars 19 and 20.

The detector mounting rod 22 has adjustably mounted thereon a pair of detector units 45 and 46 each with a clamping thumb screw 43.

The detector units 45 and 46 have detector fingers 47 and 48 which engage the side margin of a tow band guided thereto by the guide bar 20.

The detector finger 47 (see FIG. 4) is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 50, has a screw 51 adjustably carried therein above the pivot pin 50 for positioning for engagement with the actuating stem 52 of a microswitch 53.

The finger 47 also has a screw 55 adjustably carried therein below the pivot pin 50 for positioning for engage ment with the actuating stem 56 of a microswitch 57. A biasing and restoring spring 58 is provided engaging the exterior casing of the microswitch 57, and the finger 4-7.

The finger 47 has three positions, i.e., a neutral position, and outer or A position and an inner or B position. The screws 51 and 55 are preferably adjusted so that the finger 47 is biased clockwise to the inner or B position with the microswitch 53 in activated condition, so that with the finger 47, in an upright or neutral position, neither microswitch 53 or 57 is activated, and so that in the outer or A position the microswitch 57 is activated (see FIG. 7).

The detector finger 48 is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 60 with adjusting screws (not shown) similar to the adjusting screws 51 and 55, actuating stems 62 and 63 similar to the stems 52 and 56, restoring springs (not shown) but similar to spring 58 for controlling microswitches 64 and 65 (see FIG. 8A) similar to the microswitches 53 and 57, and biased counterclockwise, and with an inner actuated or C position for the microswitch 64, a neutral position, and an outer actuated or D position for the microswitch 65.

Referring now to FIG. 7, the respective positions of the detector fingers 47 and 48 as determined by the tow band are there shown as follows:

To actuate centering motor:

A activated; B, C, D inactiveTo center from left C activated; A, B, D inactive-From center to right D activated; A, B, C inactiveTo center from right B activated; A, C, D inactiveFrom center to left To actuate width motor:

A, D activated; B, C, inactive-Narrow B, C activated; A, D, inactive-Widen Referring now to FIGS. 8A and 8B it will be seen that leads 67 and 68 are provided, connected to a suitable power source such as 60 HZ. alternating current and with control switch 69 and indicating light 70.

A selector switch 71 can be provided with contacts for automatic or manual control as desired.

The automatic control circuit preferably includes a transformer 72 for step down of the voltage through the microswitches 53, 57, 64 and 65 to the desired level, 24 volts being suitable. An intermittently operated timer contact 73 in series with the secondary winding of the transformer 72 is provided to interrupt the sensing and prevent hunting, a manually operable shunt switch 74 around the contact 73 being provided if continuous sensing is desired.

The sensing microswitches 53, 57, 64 and 65 preferably have respectively in series therewith armatures of relays R1, R2, R3, and R4, for controlling relays CF and CR which control the direction of current flow through winding 77 of the centering motor 34, and for controlling relays WP and WR which control the direction of current fiow through winding 79 of the width motor 42.

The relay |R1 has a normally open contact R11 which is connected through a normally closed contact R42 normally closed contact CR1 of relay CR and a normally closed out out switch 82 through the winding of relay CF. An indicator lamp 83 can be shunted across the winding of the relay CF to indicate the energization thereof.

The relay R3 has a normally open contact [R32 connected through a normally closed contact R22 and then through the normally closed contact CR1, cut out switch 82 and winding of relay CF as before.

The relay R1 also has a normally closed contact R12 connected through a normally open contact R43, a normally closed contact CFl of relay CF and a normally closed cut out switch 84, and through the winding of the relay CR. The indicator lamp 85 can be shunted across the winding of the relay CR to indicate the energization thereof.

The relay R3 has a normally closed contact R31 connected through the normally open contact \R21 of relay R2 and thence through normally closed contact CFl as before.

The relay R3 has a normally open contact R32 which is connected through a normally open contact R23 of relay R2 and a normally closed contact WFI of relay WP and a normally closed cut out switch 86 and through winding of the relay WR. An indicator lamp 87 can be shunted across the Winding of the relay WR, to indicate the energization thereof.

The normally open contact R11 is also connected through normally open contact R41 and normally closed contact WRl of relay WR, a normally closed cut out switch 88 and the winding of the relay WF. An indicator lamp 89 can be shunted across the winding of the relay WF to indicate the energization thereof.

The timer controller TR provides intermittent operation of the contact 73, a conventional adjustable controller of well known type being employed. This type of control provides what is in effect a sampling thus giving an automatic avoidance of overcorrection.

Manual control can be employed in place of the control by the detector fingers 47 and 48, the control switch 72 being connected by a conductor 91 with a branch 92 extending to a selector switch 94 with forward, off and reverse positions for selective energization of the windings of the relays WP and WR. A *branch 93 of conductor 91 also extends to a selector switch 95 with forward, off and reverse positions for selective energization of the windings of the relays CR and CF.

The relay CF has a normally open contact CF2 which is connected through a normally open contact CF3 of relay CF, the winding 77 of the motor 34, the capacitance 95 and the normally open contact CF4 of relay CF for energization of the winding 77 and operation of the motor 34 in one direction, upon energization of the relay CF.

The relay CR has a normally open contact CR2 which is connected through a normally open contact CR3, the capacitance 95, the winding 77 and the normally open contact CR4 for energization of the winding 77 and operation of the motor 34 in the opposite direction upon energization of the relay CR.

The relay WF has a normally open contact WF2 which is connected through a normally open contact WF3 of relay WF, the winding 79 of the motor 42, the capacitance 96 and the normally open contact WF4 for energization of the Winding 79 and operation of the motor 42 in one direction upon energization of the relay WF.

The relay WR has a normally open contact WR2 which is connected through a normally open contact WR3, the capacitance 96, the winding 79 and the normally open contact WR4 for energization of the winding 79 and operation of the motor 42 in the opposite direction upon energization of the relay WR.

The side edge of the tow band by its engagement with and positioning of the detector fingers 47 and 48 will determine the actuation and direction of movement of the centering motor 34 and the centering bar 29 controlled thereby, and the actuation and direction of movement of the width control motor 42 and the width control bar 40 controlled thereby.

We claim:

1. A tow band director comprising a housing having a vertical side wall,

a first support member extending outwardly from said side wall,

sensing members carried by said first support member for engagement by side margins of a tow band and positioned by said margins, and

a second support member extending outwardly from said side 'wall and having an outer free end, means engaging the band and having an outer end carried by the free end of the second support member controlled by said sensing members responsive to departure of said side margins of the band from predetermined condition for restoring said side margins to said predetermined condition,

a third support member extending outwardly from said side wall and having an outer free end,

a second means engaging the band and having an outer end carried by the free end of the third support memher and controlled by said sensing members responsive to the departure of said band from a difierent predetermined condition for restoring said band to said different predetermined condition.

2. A tow band director as defined in claim 1 in which said sensing members are responsive to departure of the band from centered position of said band, and

one of said means has portions effective for restoring said band to centered position.

3. A tow band director as defined in claim 1 in which said sensing members are responsive to departure of the band from a predetermined width, and

one of said means is effective for restoring said band to said predetermined width.

4. A tow band director as defined in claim 1 in which said sensing members are responsive to departure of the band from centered position,

said sensing members are responsive to departure of the band from a predetermined width, and

one of said means has portions effective for restoring said band to centered position, and

the other of said means has portions efiective for restoring said band to said predetermined width.

5. A tow band director as defined in claim 4 in which one of said means include a tow band centering bar having its outer end rotatably mounted in the free end of one of said support members, and

said centering bar is a bar movable to inclined positions for guiding said tow band.

6. A tow band director as defined in claim 4 in which one of said means includes a tow band width control bar having its outer end rotatably mounted in the free end of one of said support members, and

said width control bar is a bar bowed between its ends.

7. A tow band director as defined in claim 4 in which each of said means includes a positioning motor in said housing and control circuits controlled by said sensing members.

8. A tow band director as defined in claim 7 in which timed interrupter means is interposed between said sensing members and said motors for reducing the time period of energization of said motors and preventing overcorrection.

9. A tow band director as defined in claim 7 in which members are provided for substituting manual control for the automatic control of said control circuits. 10. A tow band director as defined in claim 4 in which means is provided and including the sensing members for sampling the condition of the marginal edges to prevent overcorrection.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,698,982 1/1955 Smith 226-23 X 3,171,579 3/1965 Robertson 226-23 3,230,597 1/1966 Gibb 26-514 3,330,456 7/1967 Umstott 26-63 X RICHARD A. SCHACHER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

